How long is Rodri out for? Man City missing Spanish star but Pep Guardiola finds 'copy and paste' solution in title race boost
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Rodri is set to be out for the remainder of the season with an ACL that he suffered against Arsenal.
The Man City superstar will miss eight to nine months of action following assessments on his knee after a 2-2 draw in September.
It was a huge blow for Pep Guardiola whose side’s Premier League title hopes took a massive hit at the start of the season.
But City are still unbeaten since Rodri’s injury, winning three and drawing one game over the last month.
And Guardiola may have found a solution in his absence…
Rodri injury: What happened?
Rodri was substituted in the 21st minute of a 2-2 draw against Arsenal at the Etihad after planting his foot in an awkward position.
As he went to attack a corner, he jarred his right leg into the ground and instantly fell, grasping his knee.
He was riding around on the pitch for a few seconds before both sets of players came to his aid and medics checked him out.
The midfielder was able to stand up and hobble off at the time but after the game, it was confirmed that he suffered a serious ligament injury.
Rodri injury: What has been said?
A few days after the incident, Man City released a statement revealing what had happened.
It read: “Manchester City FC can confirm that Rodri has suffered a ligament injury to his right knee.
“The injury was sustained during the first half of this weekend's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.
“The midfielder travelled to Spain to seek specialist consultation this week, following initial tests in Manchester.
“Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the injury and expected prognosis.
“Everyone at the Club wishes him a speedy recovery.”
And after those assessments, Rodri and Man City received the worst possible news…
Speaking at a press conference, Guardiola admitted: “This season is over. It is the worst news, but it is what it is.
“We don’t have a similar player, but the players all together can replace Rodri. We have to do it as a team and find a way.”
Guardiola was then asked if his team could cope without Rodri.
He said: “If we don’t win, it’s because we miss Rodri. We are stronger with him, but he’s out for eight to nine months.
"He got surgery this morning, ACL and some meniscus. Next season, he will be here".
Rodri injury: What is Man City’s solution?
Mateo Kovacic seems to be the man to step into Rodri’s role.
In Man City’s last game before the international break, the Croatian scored two goals in a 3-2 win over Fulham.
He played in the deeper position like the Spaniard usually does and excelled, with Guardiola praising him post-match.
The City boss said: “He [Kovacic] is not a top goalscorer.
“But he maybe saw how many goals Rodri has scored in that position and did copy and paste. He scored two fantastic goals.”
Guardiola added: “They went four to five [defenders]. When they defended with five there is one man free on the edge of the box – Kovacic.
“The two goals were because in that position they can’t defend it.
“Kovacic was really important. Now opponents know they can’t leave him alone or he can score a goal.”
Rodri has been fundamental to City’s success in recent seasons, in particular their treble-winning campaign in 2022/23.
He scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Inter Milan and produced consistent and dominant midfield displays.
If Kovacic can replicate that crunch-time goalscoring gene and control the game in a deeper role then Man City may be fine.
However, they didn’t lose a single Premier League match that Rodri played in last season, with all of their three defeats coming without him.
So their hopes of another title still remain up in the air.
